A House bill expanding creation of charter schools went through further changes in the Senate Appropriations Committee today. The committee changed the funding structure for virtual charter schools, operated over the Internet. The bill originally called for these schools to be funded at 90 percent of the average Indiana school. Today’s changes would lower that amount. Some committee members stressed again that Indiana should work to strengthen traditional public schools. Bill author and Speaker of the House Brian Bosma says that charter schools are public schools too, attended by public school students. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Brandon Smith reports from the Indiana Statehouse.